Scientific Investigation Division
The Scientific Investigation Division (SID) of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), Office of Support Services, is responsible for collecting evidence at crime scenes or from suspects and victims, and later processing it at the Regional Crime Laboratory. Units and functions of the Scientific Investigation Division Criminalistics Laboratory Blood Alcohol Unit The Blood Alcohol Unit is responsible for analyzing of breath and blood for alcohol. Field Unit The Field Unit is responsible for preservation, collection and booking of evidence from crime scenes. Firearms Analysis Unit The Firearms Analysis Unit is responsible for test firing all firearms that come into department custody, unloading unsafe firearms, restoring of obliterated serial number and re-stamping firearm identification numbers, trajectory analysis of fired bullets, analysis of any firearms-related evidence as necessary, and entry of evidence images into electronic firearms database. Narcotics Analysis Unit The Narcotics Analysis Unit is responsible for photographing and analyzing narcotics evidence. Questioned Documents Unit The Questioned Documents Unit is responsible for examining handwriting, handprinting, signatures, indented writing, typewriting, rubber stamps, printing methods, fracture matches, alterations, and obliterations. In addition, the Questioned Documents Unit is responsible for obtaining handwriting samples from suspected writers for comparison and maintaining files of handwriting exemplars. Serology/DNA Unit The Serology/DNA Unit is responsible for analyzing evidence for the presence of body fluids, analyzing body fluids for genetic markers (DNA profile), and entering profiles into electronic database. Special Services Unit The Special Services Unit is responsible for making surveys at the scenes of major crimes and preparing maps or sketches as required. The Special Services Unit is also responsible for preparing composite drawings of suspects. Toxicology Unit The Toxicology Unit is responsible for analyzing body fluids for drug abuse. Trace Analysis Unit The Trace Analysis Unit is responsible for analyzing evidence including hairs, fibers, gunshot residue, arson residue, explosives, shoe prints and tire tracks. Trivia The LAPD's Scientific Investigation Division's ''' Criminalistics Laboratory and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Scientific Services Bureau are located in the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center (aka the Regional Crime Lab) on the campus of California State University Los Angeles. FSC also houses CSULA's Department of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics, which has among the most highly regarded degree programs in both forensics and criminalistics in the U.S. Opened in 2007, the FSC was conceived as a regional crime lab designed to promote collaboration between the LASD and LAPD while fostering development of new generations of experts. Before relocating to the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, the Criminalistics Laboratory was located at the C. Erwin Piper Technical Center, Piper Tech for short, along with the Technical Laboratory. '''Technical Laboratory Photographic Unit The Photographic Unit is responsible for all photographic work related to: * Crime scenes; * Evidence; * Dead bodies; * Aerial Photography; * Arrestees; * Victims; * Department employees; * Photographic documentation of latent evidence; * Photographic prints, copies, and enlargements, as required; and * Surveillance photography of gang funerals. Latent Print Unit The Latent Print Unit is responsible for: * Investigating crime scenes for latent print evidence; * Chemical processing of requested evidence for latent prints; * Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) latent print inquiries; * Comparison of suspects’ prints with latent prints obtained at crime scenes; * Taking plaster casts of shoe and tire impressions; * Fingerprinting dead bodies; and * Maintaining files of latent prints obtained at crime scenes and palm print cards of arrested persons. Electronics Unit The Electronics Unit is responsible for: * Installing and removing electronic investigation equipment; * Temporary issuance of electronic investigation equipment to other divisions; and * Providing electronic countermeasure sweeps (debugging) for department entities and city government. Polygraph Unit The Polygraph Unit is responsible for: * Interviewing suspects, victims, and department applicants and employees, when requested by investigating officers; and * Operating polygraph equipment and instructing Department employees as to proper methods of preparing persons to be interrogated. Known Personnel in the Major Crimes Universe * Before assigned to Priority Homicide Division (later Major Crimes Division), Lieutenant Michael Tao was assigned to the Scientific Investigation Division. * Buzz Watson is officially part of the Scientific Investigation Division but he is exclusively assigned to the Major Crimes Division as their tech manager and crime scene photographer. * "Firearms" Francine is assigned to SID's Firearm Analysis Unit on Major Crimes. Category:LAPD